16 Days Of Activism Against Gender Violence

This year, the Save Darfur Coalition is marking the internationally-observed 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence, running from November 25th, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, to December 10th, International Human Rights Day.


16 Days of Activism: Spotlighting Namma Nagar


For 16 days, Nobel Women's Initiative will spotlight stories about women activists around the globe.

Each year since 1991, tens of thousands of activists from around the world have taken part in the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence Campaign. The campaign's central messages - women's rights are human rights and violence against women constitutes a violation of human rights - have been a rallying call of the women's movement. This year, thousands of organizations are participating.

Each day we are posting on our site a video, photos, or story about a woman who is doing amazing things to make change in her world. Check back every day from November 25th, International Day Against Violence Against Women, until December 10th, International Human Rights Day, to learn about these incredible women.


16 Days to End Violence; Afghan schools threatened

Nov. 25 marked the 10th anniversary of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Two international organizations used the occasion to jointly denounce the use of violence to silence outspoken women, according to a Nov. 25 press release. The Belgium-based International Federation of Journalists and 40 members of the Canada-based International Freedom of Expression Exchange are calling on authorities to investigate cases of violence against women.

Also, in commemoration of this day, the United Nations International Research, and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women, or UN-INSTRAW, launched a media kit on violence against women and human security in Latin American and the Caribbean. The agency will also do a study on gender and security sector reform in the Dominican Republic. More than 50 percent of women in the region have been victims of some form of violence.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also unveiled a Network of Men Leaders to serve as role models in a campaign opposing violence against women, BBC News reported Nov. 25. Ki-moon said about 70 percent of women experience some form of physical or sexual violence because of men. The 14 men in the network include Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. He also announced $10.5 million that was awarded in grants for 13 initiatives to end violence against women and girls in 18 countries and territories.

Nov. 25 kicks off the "The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence," an international campaign to mobilize individuals and groups around the world to call for an end to all forms of violence against women.

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Girls' schools in Afghanistan face the highest risk of violence, a report by the Atlanta-based CARE, the Washington-based World Bank and the Afghanistan government found, according to a Nov. 23 press release.

The number of girls' schools is half that of boys', but attacks on them account for 40 percent of all school attacks. Schools with girls and boys represent 32 percent of attacks. Twenty eight percent of attacks are on boys' schools.

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An Ozark, Ark., woman gave a police officer permission Nov. 11 to use his stun gun on her 10-year-old daughter, ABC News.com reported Nov. 24. Kelly King called the police when she was having trouble with her daughter, who has a history of emotional problems. The officer said in his report the girl was "violently kicking" and he delivered "a very brief drive stun" to the girl's skin when she kicked him in the groin.

Thirteen women and eight men were kidnapped and killed in the Philippines Nov. 23, in an effort to prevent a woman from filing her husband's nomination for elections next year, Reuters reported.

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